Automobile signal system



liiatented ging. 14, i923..

WALTER L. ris-saam, for MONTGOMERY, Anneenra/ Aufrolvroiainn' siena.; ss'rnia.l

Application med october .5, ieee. seal no. 592,492.

To all whom 2f-mag] concern.' o y v Be it Vknown that LVALTR L. 'INenAin a citizen of the United Statejs,`and a? resident of the city and county of Montgomery, State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Signal Systems, of which this is a specification, reference being` had to the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof.

My invention relates to apparatus. whereby the driver of an automobile may signal te others his intention, as to turn right or left, stop, etc. The object of the invention is to providev novel, efficient and reliable apparatus for this purpose, and particularly to utilize the power of the usual internal combustion motor to operate the signals.

In the drawing, which shows the invention in its elements, 1 is a small tube led Y 2o off from a spark plug, such as those known as priming plugs ory as employed with the engine-operated tire pumps. The tube may be similarly attached to the exhaust manifold but I prefer to use the plug. Pipe 1 leads to a small pump as at 2, containing a two-diameter piston as at 4L and 5, and which may be normally restrained by a spring 6. This pump, not different from those employed for pumping tires, and which may be variously modified, feeds a storage tank 3, of suitable size. From the tank pipes are carried to the signal means. One pipe, 7, controlled through a valve at 8, arranged to be operated by depression of the brake pedal 9, supplies pipe 10, 10, and through it a cylinder' 11, the plunger of which1 12, is arranged to operate the stop signal lever 13. Obviously, the opening of valve 8 by depression of the brake pedal will cause plunger 12 to lift the stop signal lever 13 and the attached stop signal member 14E, preferably bearing the word Stop? as at 15. Another pipe 16 is taken to a two-way valve 17 by means of which the signals for right and left may be controlled. Suitable pipes are taken to appropriate cylinders (hidden in the Afigure by the cylinder 11, but of identical character) in the drawing pipe 18 controlling the left `clear red lettering it shows clearly even in the figure, provided with'alnliioprlate let- A tering. As drawn the left signal is lshown in operative vposition obscuring the normal back-ground. 2O is the signal lever, 23 the' 60 signal member; the structure for the right signal beingy identical, but, of course, not shown in the ligure.

W ith the apparatus as indicated the left or right signals are given by displaying black letters on a green ground, the one or the other legend as the two-way valve is turned, or none if the valve is set to close both supply pipes. The stop signal I provide with a red legend and with either a clear or opaque ground. It, therefore, displays the word Stop7 in red, giving a distinctly different appearance from the normal right and left legends. I find that with a though it is illuminated by the normal green light which comes through the back-ground. The signals are, of course, quite visible in day light without the need of the lamp but at night the lamp is a necessity.

A feature of the invention as disclosed is that regardless of whether either or none of the other signals are in operative position the Stop may be displayed at will, or even without volition by the driver, for depression of the brake pedal will operate the stop signal and obscure whatever signal is then displayed by the red lettered word Stop. In practice I find the stop signal is quite as effective if displayed over a right or left as if displayed alone-whatever light cornes through the red lettering giving an efficient signal, clear and unmistakable.

I have shown an elementary apparatus merely to-illustrate the points of the inven- 9D tion. The signal apparatus will, of course, be provided with suitable casing and situated at such places on the automobile as may be desired. The two-way valve is to be located within easy reach of the driver and is, of course, the equivalent of two independent valves, or of independent control of the right and left pipes.

It will be understood, of course, that while I prefer to employ a pressure system', as shown, for the reason that as high a pressure as desired may be had, yet it is possible to utilize many of the features of the invention by a vacuum control, vacuum created as in the well known vacuum feed gasoline systems. This is particularly the case with regard to the arrangement of normalright i mally illuminated background against which y and leftsignals arranged to be occluded `the stop signal` regardless of which is-"then In a signal system of the classk described,

in combination vWith an internal combustion motor, movable and translucentfsignal members controlled by said motor arranged to be moved jointly or independently, a nor-v y* said signal members maybe displayed,V and said signals so arrangedl that the'onei 'of them intended as YaV stop v`signal is Visible 'thrlough either: of the other vsignal members when the twol are simultaneouslyv against said back ground, substantially as set forth.

Witness: my-l hand at Montgomery, Ala., this October 2,1922. Y Y 1 1 y WALTER L. INGRAM. In the presence of;' i, i

LYNWQ'ODA. MAbLnA-N, JOS-Jim( 

